NORMAN — On Senior Night against No. 7 Alabama, it was a true freshman who truly changed the game.
Oklahoma gave the Crimson Tide all they could handle in the first half, taking a 10-3 lead into the locker room, but the Sooners had struggled to finish the job against SEC opponents in Ole Miss and Missouri earlier this season.
Kalen DeBoer’s offense got the ball to start the second half, and a strong Alabama drive would have tested the nerve of the crimson-clad faithful at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium who delivered an electric atmosphere for the first two quarters.
Cornerback Eli Bowen ensured the fans, and Oklahoma itself, would do more than merely stay in the game on the first drive.
He recognized a pass coming behind the line of scrimmage and triggered. By the time he whipped his head around toward Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe, the ball was in the air. Bowen picked it off and took off, eventually setting the offense up at the 18-yard line, giving the Sooners the perfect start to the second half to close out the 24-3 upset.
“It’s definitely something you dream about,” Bowen said of his first-career interception. “I froze for a second when I got it. I couldn’t believe that was the moment. That was crazy. Just a blessing.”
The pick kept the momentum on Oklahoma’s sideline for the rest of the night, it was the cherry on top of a fantastic outing for Bowen, but it also made his pockets a bit heavier.
“I owe Eli 1,000 dollars,” OU linebacker Danny Stutsman revealed after the game. “… I told everyone I’ve got $1,000 for the first turnover. And then it was Eli so I’m so happy that was him and not like (Robert Spears-Jennings) or Billy (Bowman).”
Bowen said the conversations on the sideline about a turnover started in the first quarter, and while getting a turnover in the second half wasn’t the motivation for Stutsman to put a price on the turnover, it was a key piece of Oklahoma’s second half onslaught.
“That’s what we’ve needed,” Stutsman said. “We’ve been up against Ole Miss and Missouri at half and we didn’t really execute. Their first drive was always, they scored.
“So that was a big emphasis for us after halftime, especially the middle eight, and we dominated that part. So happy for the guys.”
Even if he didn’t haul in the first of OU’s three interceptions, Bowen played a key role in the Sooners’ game plan to slow down Milroe and the Alabama offense.
The Crimson Tide’s most dangerous weapon is true freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams.
Entering the night, he had 767 receiving yards and eight scores on the season and was averaging 19.2 yards per catch.
Williams killed Georgia, hauling in six passes for 177 yards and a score. He was huge in the loss to Tennesse, finishing with eight catches for 73 yards and a score.
Coming into Saturday’s contest, Oklahoma’s defensive staff entrusted the 5-foot-9 Bowen with the task of slowing down the 6-foot Williams.
“Eli had the challenge,” Stutsman said. “We told him anywhere (Williams) goes, we need him on him and he stepped up and he dominated. He played some of his best football.”
Williams got loose once in the first half and had a touchdown wiped off the board for a puzzling penalty, but otherwise Bowen did as good a job as any corner has this year on him.
Milroe targeted his favorite weapon nine times, but Williams finished with two receptions for 37 yards.
“Eli did a great job,” OU defensive coordinator Zac Alley said after the game. “… Man, just the development, the way he prepares. He doesn’t look anything like a freshman in anything he does. He’s already a pro, and it’s just exciting to see him continue to grow.”
Bowen had lot of respect for the threat Williams posed coming into the game, but he said he wanted to approach the challenge with the mindset of not making the task too big so he could rely on his instincts and play fast.
“Just sticking with my detail,” said Bowen, “sticking with my technique, because once you start overthinking the moment, that’s the moment you get beat, so just do what you do best.”
Brent Venables hailed Bowen’s humble mindset after the game and has pointed to that all season as to why he believes the young corner has a “great future,” but the performance on Saturday night came as no shock to his teammates.
“Eli in general is just a special player,” veteran defensive back Woodi Washington said. “… Because he’s a freshman and he’s a smaller guy, he plays like he’s 6-1. He goes out every day and he puts in the work. When that moment came, he was ready for it.”
Even with his big play, Bowen was mainly focused over what the win over the Crimson Tide (8-3, 4-2 SEC) means for the entire locker room as Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5) is now bowl eligible.
“It’s great to see that all our work actually paid off,” Bowen said. “We played how we should have been playing the whole season. We played how we expected ourselves to play, so it was great to just see that all come together.”
But he will be coming back for that $1,000.
“We’ll see. We’ll see. Soon to come. Soon to come,” he beamed.
